The Tail of A Killer
by Argentcoeur
Summary: The descendant of many killers goes on a journey to join the clan cats. He is with the descendant of many medicine cats. This is his story. "Seek not for kin, Seek for the heart within." What does that mean?
1. The Prophecy

**Fern's Adventure Chapter 1**

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors or Ginger. They are owed by their authors. (Ginger is owned by my friend, Bunbun454.) I only own Fern and Sparrow.

Fern could see nothing but darkness, and hear nothing. That was, until his stomach growled. The gray cat roused himself from his rough dry moss bedding and padded out of the dark cave, his claws clinking against the hard ground. Fern had to really concentrate to sheath them, as they were naturally unsheathed. He blinked blearily against the bright, pale sunlight. As he waited for his blue eyes to adjust, Fern was once again reminded of his hunger. A mouse blinked its way into Fern's vision as soon as he was used to the light. The said small life was soon blinked out of existence by a swift move of a gray paw. But the mouse was not enough for the tomcat. As soon as a squirrel was seen, Fern dashed after it, so intent on his prey he did not realize he was being chased as well…

When Fern was just a tail-length away from the squirrel, something big and heavy landed on his back, making him collapse under the weight. His nose wrinkled as he breathed in the acrid scent of a familiar loner. Fern squirmed out of Ginger's grip and turned to glare at her with his blue eyes.

"What, were you trying to eat me, mouse-brain?!"

"Sorry," Ginger mumbled, looking down at her paws with amber eyes. "I thought you were someone else."

Fern spat back, saying, "Were you going to eat him?" Ginger decided not to respond back to that, and turned away from his gaze. Fern's glare turned from menacing to worry as the tortoiseshell walked straight into a tree, but immediately flickered back to menacing. He even threw in a smile to make it seem more real.

Ginger walked around in a few dizzy circles before collapsing at Fern's paws. She looked like she was sleeping. The sunlight added golden dots to her already spotted pelt. He poked her a bit before snatching a few black seeds from a nearby flower and placing them by Ginger's head. She should wake up soon. He then proceeded to find some more prey.

* * *

The rest of the day was quite boring, with no adventure whatsoever. It was normally like that. Fern plopped down on his dry bedding for a short nap to regain his energy and think about the day.

Ginger had once again been looking for someone. The only other cat in the Great Forest that wasn't anti-social was Sparrow, that wiry light brown tabby that said he was from something called 'Windclan'. And he was so annoying; no one could stand to be near him. But he could be good company at times. What? Just because he was descended from Bloodclan didn't mean he was as hostile as them. His father had even wanted to give him the name of his Great-grandfather; Scourge. Fern was still trying to avoid meeting other cats in fear of them being his kin.

Becoming frustrated with his bedding that was slowly turning to dust, Fern set out to find some fresh moss. He walked out of his cave, to the forest that seemed to glare at him as though he were Scourge. Shuddering at the thought, Fern padded along with his tail and head down. He wandered far to find fresh moss, as it was all dry from being in the sun. He might have wandered past another cat, but he didn't take any notice; it could have been his kin, anyway. Shuddering again, Fern continued on until he came to some moss.

The moss was the freshest he had ever seen, shining brightly into his day. It was also the softest he had ever felt. Fern looked up to see the landmark that would mark this glory of finding the soft moss- and froze.

Sitting before him was a pond of glittering water hidden by stone walls and fed by a trickling waterfall. Its captivating beauty entranced Fern to go closer. It seemed to reject him, yet at the same time, beckoning him to take a drink. Fern slowly padded up to it, feeling the many paw prints in the stone, enchanted by its sparkling beauty. He cautiously dipped his head in, blessed by the water that washed his face. Fern's mind was suddenly filled with pictures of a lake, a big island, numerous cats all living together and the most beautiful image of all; a tortoiseshell cat, perfumed with the luscious scents of many herbs. She spoke in the most melodic voice Fern had ever heard. He was too busy listening to it to identify what she was telling him.

"_Seek not for kin, _

_Seek for the heart within."_

Fern may have heard the cat's prophecy, but he didn't show it. "What is your name?"

She smiled back at him. "Dapplepelt."

Dapplepelt slowly faded away, and Fern was back at the pool. He picked up some moss and skipped back to his den. Fern didn't notice a tortoiseshell cat walking in the direction he had just come from. That was, until she spoke to him.

"What piece of crowfood made you so mouse-brained?" Ginger's teasing voice had no hope of preventing the gray cat's wonderfull day.

Fern just replied, with a love-struck face, "I just met the most beautiful cat in the world."

Ginger looked at him with a disgusted face. "Who, Sparrow?"

The gray cat just ignored her and continued skipping merrily through the forest.

Fern was pondering about Dapplepelt all the way back to his cave.

'_Was she real, this goddess of beauty? Or was I just dreaming it all? Those wondrous scents from foreign lands…. they were calling to me. They must have come from far-off lands. I wonder if my great-grandfather lived there. No! I must stop thinking about him!'_

Shaking his head fiercely to rid himself of these thoughts, Fern didn't notice his head collide with solid stone. Well, not so solid anymore. There was a loud crack, and Fern stumbled onto his new patch of moss. His nose automatically buried itself against his fur, ready for sleep.

Few things disturbed him as he slept. Thoughts of Dapplepelt clouded Fern's dreams. Even a badger could walk in, attack, maybe cut all his fur off so he looks like a hairless rat, and he still wouldn't awake. The only thing that woke the gray tom was the soft snuffling of a mouse, but only for a brief moment.

The next day would hold a surprise no one could expect.....

* * *

My second story! Please review this. And no flames! I'll update when I have at least 2 positive reveiws. This is a twin fic with Ginger's Adventure.


	2. A Fight Between Friends

Fern's Adventure

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own warriors. I just own Fern and Sparrow. Bunbun454(My friend) owns Ginger.

Fern woke to the sun scorching his fur and a heavy thumping in his head. When he stood to stretch, every part of his body ached. It was days like this he just wanted everyone to go away. He decided that catching some prey would make him feel better. A flash of red caught his attention, and the squirrel was dead in a few seconds. Fern ate it where it died, savoring every bite to distract him from his constant pain.

He licked the fur, noticing that it had recently shed its winter coat. Then he went on to the meat; bloody, but meaty, hinting that food was plenty for squirrels this green-leaf. Too soon was the prey gone. The few remaining scraps left were licked off the tiny bones.

A blur of familiar fur blew past Fern, blowing away the remains of his prey. He turned to watch the tortoiseshell she-cat try and fail to skid to a halt. Ginger ended up in some brambles. The gray took this moment to sheath his claws, so as to not scare her. Although, he didn't want Ginger around... Maybe a scare will make her go away... She rushed back to where Fern was, covered in brambles, looking eager to tell him something.

Just as Ginger opened her mouth to say something, Fern interrupted in a much harsher tone then he meant.

"Leave me alone. I don't want to hear any of your fox dung."

Ginger just blinked and meowed; "Have you ever been to the wondrous, most beautiful, ever-powering moo-"

Fern cut her off saying; "Stop! Stop talking to me! I have always hated when you talk! To me about all the stupid little things in your mouse-brained life! I don't care about your life! I don't care about **you!** So just leave me alone before I rip you to shreds!" He was now standing; fur bristled and blue eyes sharp with anger. He let his grip on his claws relax.

Ginger took a step back, "Hey, if you really want to be a grumpy old loner, who is without friends, then fine! I was considering leaving to find my kin, but I guess you have set my mind straight! I will leave this forest so you can have it all to yourself! You greedy fox dung!"

Fern growled at her, full of rage. An unknown force took over him, and that force took his claws, and sliced at the she-cat's exposed belly. Blood bled freely from the fresh wound as Ginger took a swipe at his face, but claw never met flesh. She backed away weakly, concern in her eyes as she tried unsuccessfully to stop the bleeding.

Before running, she hissed at him; "You're so vicious, you could join Bloodclan and be a pretty good warrior for them!"

Staring at her retreating figure, all of the anger drained out of Fern, replaced by worry. "Ginger, wait!"

Anger flared in his stomach at her for comparing him to his clan, but it quickly went away as Fern realized that he had provoked her to say it. (1)

'_She must be losing a lot of blood.'_ The thought struck him like lightning. Fern suddenly concerned for the well-being of a cat that had offended him deeply, raced off to find Ginger. He followed a fresh trail of blood, and sure enough, found her.

* * *

Ginger was lying in a pool of her own blood, unconscious. Fern dragged her into her nest and stopped the blood with some cobwebs he found in the hollow. After making sure she would be okay, Fern went back to the glittering pool to find some moss. He caught a sparrow and mouse on his way back to his patient.

After awhile, Ginger came out, mouth flecked with blood from the mouse she ate.

"You shouldn't move around much with that gash on your stomach." Fern meowed calmly, his mouth still full of sparrow.

She opened her mouth as though to say something, but thought better of it and said; "Wow, you're quite the healer." Ginger said this in a teasing way, but it wasn't mean.

She went up to Fern and pressed her muzzle against his flank, thanking him. He gently pushed her away.

"Well, if you're leaving the forest, you're going to need protection. You shouldn't just go out there alone. You could be killed." His eyes seemed to soften a bit as he said it, but that was soon corrected.

"We will leave tomorrow at dawn." Ginger said confidently. "I think I have a pretty good idea of where we are going. How about we meet at the big oak?"

Fern just nodded, worry clawing at his insides, preventing him from doing anything more. He padded away, and once he was out of sight, started sulking.

'_I don't want to be alone, but I also don't want to meet other cats! What if their my kin?'_ Fern sighed. _'I guess I can't turn back.'_

The walk back to his cave seemed endless, even though it was only a few minutes away. Every sound that broke the silence made him feel increasingly lonely. Fern tried to think other thoughts to distract him. That pool of moon, for example. That beautiful tortoiseshell, Dapplepelt, wads no dream. She had been real. He could see her even as he was walking in the forest. Fern just wished he could breathe in her scent one more time….

_Crack!_

Pain exploded in Fern's head as he tried to distinguish solid stone from thin air. Even though he aimed for the moss, he landed in a pile of weeds.

* * *

_Paws of many colors and sizes filled the ancient prints from times gone past; small trickles of shimmering water echoed around the smooth stone walls; dried herbs of much variety filled the spacius crevices, perfuming the cavern. Cats of many colors and sizes formed a circle around the glittering pool of moon. They seemed to mutter a prayer before letting the water touch their faces. As soon as they were asleep, other cats with starry pelts appeared. These cats talked._

"_No! We shouldn't let them!" A cat with a blue pelt meowed._

_A black and white cat argued with her. "We should let them decide their own destiny, Bluestar."_

_The cat that was now identified as Bluestar growled at him. "Thunderclan has taken in too many cats to take in some more, nonetheless __**loners."**_

_A dark black cat stopped their argument. "Stop! They both may go to Shadowclan for all you know!"_

_An evil aura surrounded cat growled at them. "Those fox-"_

_Bluestar interrupted him. "One of them is watching."_

The dream suddenly faded away and the only thing Fern could smell was Ginger.

He lifted his head. "Ginger?"

Fern heard the brambles rustle, but no tortoiseshell cat responded. He stretched, and only a dull throb came from his head. He was getting used to the feeling. A few paw steps later lead him to realize he wasn't in his den.

Fern grabbed a nearby mouse by its tail and started munching. The mouse had a familiar scent on it… Ginger.

'_What was Ginger doing here? Why is my prey so crunchy?'_

Fern had almost swallowed the bones. He quickly spat them out to begin the search for Ginger.

"Ginger? Ginger?" Fern called out, but no answer. He was farther away from the forest now. This was Sparrow's territory now.

"Ginger? Ginger? Ginger!"

"Help, help, help!" The sudden scream caught Fern off guard. He fell on something furry, but paid it no mind. He just kicked the dead thing away and got back up.

"Ginger? Are you down there?" Fern asked the hole the voice came from. Strangely, his voice echoed around the tiny area.

"Yes, I'm down here! Now come help me, you stupid furball!"

"Okay…" Fern said slowly. "But why are you-"

Ginger's voice cut him off. "Just come help me!"

Fern slowly put a paw in… And fell down.

A yelp of surprise escaped him as he landed with a thud in a cloud of dust. After a few moments of coughing, Fern realized Sparrow had a different definition of 'small' then he did…

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I forgot the disclaimer at chapter 1….. I hope this is better then the first chapter. Please tell me what you think the prophecy means. _"Seek not for kin, Seek for the heart within." _

(1) Since the old leader was Fern's great-grandfather, that means that he's rightfully the leader of Bloodclan.


	3. Little? Or Gigantic?

Fern realized Sparrow had a different definition of 'small' then he did…

The 'little' den was _gigantic__**.**_

"Whoa." Was the only breath that escaped him.

Fern journeyed far and wide, wondering at the vastness of the den so far beneath the ground. Too bad he was looking in the opposite side of where Ginger was. Realizing this, Fern raced up back to the entrance, but stopped when he saw two little paws sticking out of the wall. Thinking this was the cat he was looking for, he started tugging. After a few tries, took a raspy breath, and tried again.

The tugging seemed endless. Then Fern thought of weakening the wall. So he started digging. Operation dig Ginger out of the wall was in progress. After Fern thought he had loosened the dirt enough, he started tugging again.

A dirt covered cat soon emerged with a sharp yelp of pain.

Fern noticed the tortoiseshell fur, and for a fleeting moment, thought it was Dapplepelt. Then he saw the eyes.

'_Wait, Dapplepelt's eyes are green, not amber! This is Ginger!'_

The eyes that were full of worry and surprise flickered back to their usual hardness. But Fern could not hide the sadness that hid behind them.

He looked down at his paws, trying to hide the sadness, and meowed, "Ummm… are you okay? I mean it's pretty mouse-brained to try to be a mole and dig tunnels."

Ginger put her muzzle up to his cheek and murmured; "Thank you."

Fern breathed in her scent and was repulsed. Ginger's scent was soaked in love. He held back a cough and padded back up to the cave entrance.

The paw steps echoed clearly, and Fern sighed. Ginger need to learn how to conceal herself better. Without looking back, he asked, "So, what did you want?"

"Ohhh…. I just wanted to see if you wanted to play a game with me." Ginger's voice sounded surprised.

"We should probably get some rest before the journey." He meowed.

"But I'm-" Ginger stopped midsentence as Fern walked into the forest.

The sadness fell upon him as soon as he left Ginger. Fern was going to see his kin soon. And it wasn't likely he was going to see Dapplepelt. Fern was accompanied by this sadness all the way back to his den. He hadn't noticed until then that it was raining. As Fern shook the water from his pelt, he looked around. The moss was still fresh, cobwebs clung to the walls, and poppy flowers sprung up from every possible opening. Fern swallowed a few of the black seeds and flopped down on the moss he would miss so much.

* * *

_'Finally, the clan is mine to wield.'_

__

The gray tom stared down at his new world, amidst the starved creatures, at the body. She would have been the perfect mate for him. But she refused. This was the price she paid.

Fern continued staring, his blue eyes ice as he watched the blood soak into the tortoiseshell fur. Mouth wide open in surprise, eyes still full of fear. The result of a leader's wrath. This was the price anyone would pay should they dare defy the descendent of Scourge.

Now, as Fern glanced at the clan, they all cowered in fear of what he might do. They had already given him his new name of honor; Blood. And they had given him a collar of dog teeth to show his leadership. Blood was now ready to lead his clan to battle. His first victims would be the clan cats. The ones who destroyed Scourge's reign. They shall be punished.

Blood's eyes hardened at the thought of those mangy clan cats. Now he was finally going to be rid of them and get revenge. It was like a dream come true! Now if only Ginger had agreed...

Blood relaxed his tense body as he felt the familiar black fur against his own. His grandfather always knew what he felt. It was comforting.

The leader padded away from the alley, paws dipping in the mucky puddles. Wrinkling his nose as he passed the trash heaps he would live with. But that would all change.

Soon Blood would pad along the stream, paws pressing into the soft vegetation. Lifting his nose high to scent the fresh herbs of the forest.

Blood sighed. But he would never get to feel Ginger's soft pelt against his. If only she had accepted.

_But for now, Blood will just have to do with killing his cousins; Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw._

_

* * *

_

(Firestar is Scourge's half-brother, so that makes Hollypaw, Lionpaw, and Jaypaw Fern's cousins.)


	4. Poke The Cat

Fern awoke to the sunlight dappling his fur. That nightmare scared him, but it was already fading away. The faint scent of Ginger let him remember he was supposed to meet her at the big oak. He raced off, expecting the tortoiseshell to be there to scold him for being late.

She wasn't.

Fern waited awhile for her. He even caught two mice and a thrush.

Once the sun was in the middle of the sky, Fern abandoned his post and went to find Ginger.

The culprit was right by her nest, looking sleepy. She was just about to jump up when the police came.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Ginger fell out of her pounce and collapsed on the ground.

Frustration flared through Fern's fur as he spat, "Why weren't you at the big oak? I have been waiting all morning since dawn for you! All you've been doing is being lazy and sleeping in the sun! Was this a joke? Because I don't find it very funny! I was just trying to help, but no! No one appreciates what I do anymore(1)! It seems like you find it funny, but I don't. And if you think I am always going to take that, you're wrong! If that's what you think, I better just leave you to go on the journey yourself!"(2) Fern was panting, as he said all that in one breath.

Ginger looked up at him, guilt clear in her amber eyes. "I'm so sorry I am so mouse-brained that I forgot about the thing that was supposed to change my life I forgot about the journey and I forgot about you. The meeting by the big oak tree. How long did you wait? Oh of course you waited since dawn just for me. You were being so kind by going on the journey with me. Oh I am so sorry, can you ever forgive me?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Oh, I am so sorry. Are you hurt? Do you need some herbs? What did you do while you were waiting all the time? I was just-"

Fern decided to cut her off there. "Are you going to continue blabbering on or are we going to leave? Oh, and nice speech by the way. Did Sparrow help you with it?"

Ginger seemed to space just then. So Fern hit her on the head. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

"Oops, sorry. I was just thinking," Ginger meowed quickly and quite sheepishly, "So do you want to leave now?"

"Well I have nothing else to do in my life, so sure. Let's go." He meowed. Ginger's eyes lit up, which brought a curious flicker to Fern's. As soon as he dismissed the thought that she was happy for him, they dimmed.

Ginger tried to sound happy (and failing) by meowing, "I'll race you to the edge of the forest?"

"We will see who is fastest now" Fern meowed and a moment after he meowed that, the gray tom was already halfway there. It took about an hour for Ginger to catch up to him at the edge.

"Hey I know I good place where we can rest for the night. It has wonderful fresh moss by it so we can easily make two nests. You catch food and I will make nests, sound good?" Ginger spoke up.

"Sure, be back in a bit," Fern meowed over his shoulder as he padded back into the forest. A mouse, vole, and squirrel were promptly caught. When he returned to their makeshift camp, a sleeping cat was already made. A game of 'Poke the Cat' was played.

The moment Ginger awoke, the vole and mouse were devoured. Fern only got a few bites of his squirrel before the she-cat beckoned him to follow with her tail. They were heading up to the Pool of Moon. Two mossy nests were there, ready to be slept on.

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(1) They didn't care before, either. Sorry, spoiler for later chapters.

(2) The bubble has burst.

I need more reviews. I NEED THEM!!!!!!!


	5. Scourge: Friend? Or Foe?

**Chapter 5**

Disclaimer: I do not, and never shall, own Warriors. Just Fern. That gives me the ability to torture him.

Fern woke to the pale sunlight peeking in through the cracks of the stone walls. He looked around to see they had somehow rolled off the moss. He opened his mouth to say something to Ginger, but it only came out as a raspy croak. It was as dry as a desert. Fern roused himself from the comfy rock hard floor and padded over to the Pool of Moon to stick his tongue in. He didn't realize how thirsty he was until he started to drink. The gray cat lapped and lapped and lapped, but still, he could not quench the fire in his throat. After awhile of drinking, Fern felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him. He swayed a bit, and then sleep took him.

0o0o0o0o0o0

_A shadowy figure hovered over the sleeping body of Ginger, claws unsheathed. He looked ready to kill. Fern stared at the picture. At last he found his voice; "What are you doing?!"_

As if the cat had only just noticed him, his small head shot up to look at Fern with sharp blue eyes.

Softly, Fern meowed, "Who are you?"

The other spoke, his figure now demanding respect. "I am called many names, but you, my son, may call me-"

He paused a few seconds, letting the information soak in. Fern's eyes widened, dreading what would come.

"-Scourge"

Fern stared at him. He tried to talk, but his mouth wouldn't utter a sound.

Scourge sheathed his claws. He coiled his tail with his grandson's. "Don't worry, I will always protect you."

Fern relaxed all too quickly. Sudden pain pierced his flank; Scourge had attacked him.

Feeling his son stiffen, he let out a mrrw of laughter. "But you need to protect yourself..."

It seemed that Scourge was about to say more, but something stopped him.  
  
0o0o0o0o0o0

Fern looked around startled, wondering if he was being attacked by another of Bloodclan. The amused face of a familiar tortoiseshell told him that he wasn't dreaming anymore.

Pushing a vole and mouse towards him, Ginger meowed, "Here, it's breakfast."

Fern ate in silence, glaring at Ginger as she padded away. It was only then that he realized she had splashed water on him. Fern ate his prey as fast as he could, not wanting a reminder of the nightmare. Why was he the unlucky soul to have them?

After the prey was eaten, Fern padded out of the cave. The sun shone brightly in his eyes.

Ginger seemed unfazed by the light. "Okay, time to get this show on the road! Whatever that means..."

Fern just replied with a grunt.

Truth was, he wanted to leave the forest, but he didn't really want to come upon other cats. Fern sighed. He had to go on this journey, for Ginger. Fern just hoped that he wouldn't encounter another Scourge. But as his pawsteps took him farther away from a home he had so long, they took him closer to a home he had as a kit...

0o0o0o0o0o0

As Fern's pawsteps fell into sync behind Ginger, he couldn't help but wonder at the beautiful sky ahead. All thoughts of Scourge gone, dreams of tasty prey came to mind. Soon all of the scenery was prey. Clouds became birds, hills far-off squirrels, and the tortoiseshell he was following became the juiciest of all; a plump mouse.

The mouse stopped at a stream, maybe to take a drink. Fern quietly obtained a hunting crouch, carefully as to not scare off the juicy prey.

The mouse jumped back, hitting Fern, which knocked him from his concentration.

He hissed in annoyance, because a) the mouse was gone, and b) the mouse was just Ginger.

She appeared to be frightened at something in the water.

"What's the matter with you? Did you get scared by that hideous cat in the water?" Fern hissed.

"Quick!" Ginger hurried over to the stream, obviously ignoring the comment. "Come! Look at the water!" Fern followed, quite bored, not having much more to do.

"Just your reflection..." He muttered crossly as Ginger stared intently at the boring water. Okay, it was interesting, but only because he never came upon a stream as big as this.

A few silver blurs sped past in the water and Ginger and fern looked at each other. The two cats shared a single thought.

_'Food.'_

They both ran in opposite directions along the stream. They stared intently at the water until...

_*Splash!*_

Ginger had scooped a fish up with her paw and was looking quite happy about it.

_*Splash!*_

Fern had gotten his whole face soaked by catching his fish It now hung limply in his jaws.

The tortoiseshell bit once, savored the prey, the devoured the rest in ravenous bites. The gray ate it quick, as it reminded him of his mother. She had brought Fern fish when he was young. He ate it fast, as the taste brought tears to his eyes. The glittering scales reminded him of her silvery pelt, now shining down on him from the night sky.

Fern muttered a soft thanks, but it was interrupted by a big splash…


	6. Filler: Mistletoe?

~**Random Chapter~**

The snow covered the forest in a blanket, while the bare trees loomed darkly over it. And all was peaceful. But one cat was confused.

"What's this?" A tortoiseshell cat asked, batting at the leaf. The red berries looked tasty...

"It's called mistletoe, Ginger. You don't want to be caught under it." A gray cat answered. He padded away before Ginger could ask another question.

_'Why don't I want to be caught under it? Does it attract foxes?'_ So enticed by her wondering, Ginger didn't notice that she had wandered under the mistletoe. Did I mention Sparrow was right there?

Seeing Ginger under the mistletoe, Sparrow took this chance to spread some cheer. He padded over to the she-cat, and nuzzled her nose. Ginger woke from her thinking to stare at Sparrow, who was just skipping off to spread more cheer.

"So _THAT'S_ why." And Ginger ran off to find a certain gray blue-eyed cat...

Not so long after, Fern found himself trapped. Underneath some mistletoe and slowly being closed in on by a familiar tortoiseshell cat, escape was futile...

* * *

Sparrow stopped in his tracks when he heard an ear-splitting scream. He thought, 'Well, my work is done.' and continued on his way.

* * *

This is something I thought up for christmas. Too bad nobodys reviewing it...


	7. Windy Today

Fern turned his head, and saw Ginger's tail disappear under the water. He dashed over, careful not to fall in. The tom could see Ginger thrashing about, but not breaking the surface. Her eyes were closed. The struggling stopped. Ginger sank, along with Fern's heart.

Fern peered deep into the dark abyss, hoping, just hoping, to find that spark of light that had ignited his heart. (1) His eyes flew across the water, almost missing the flash of orange on black.

New energy seemed to surge through her, as she swam towards the surface. Fern leaned forward in anticipation of helping her, and leaned back again when he started to slip. He saw Ginger's claws dig into the wall of the stream, and knew she had made it. Fern leaned in and grabbed her by the scruff. It took all his strength to lift the tortoiseshell onto dry ground. They sat there a moment, panting. All was silent for a moment.

Then Fern meowed, "What, did you want to go swimming like those silver creatures? You definitely can't swim in currents like this. So if I were you, I wouldn't try again."

Fern looked around, seeing a barren, windy land. The forest seemed like a speck from where they were. The wind was so fierce; it was hard to believe the heather was still connected to the ground. Fern only realized then that his claws had slipped out when Ginger fell in the water, and that was why he hadn't been blown away. It was a wonder that tortoiseshell was still there. Maybe her wet fur weighed her down? "Where in all cats' names are we?"

Now the soaked tortoiseshell whipped her head around, taking every detail and committing it to memory, just realizing that they had not come upon this before. As soon Ginger laid eyes on the speck of a forest, she doubled back with exhaustion.

Before she could stumble into the stream, Fern meowed; "Hey, why don't you rest over in that heather. It doesn't look too rough. I'm going to go look around, but I won't be too long."

Ginger just replied with a nod and wandered over to the heather. Fern gave one last glance at her before scouting out the area.

The tom had to constantly keep his claws out to avoid being blown away. He wasn't to keen on flying. Fern almost never looked up, preferring to stare at the ground to make sure he didn't step on anything, jump up, and fly away.

Unfortunately, he did just that. He stepped on a stray thorn, jumped up, and was caught by a particularly strong wind. Fern tried to fight the breeze, struggling with it to put him down, yelled a few choice words at it, and hit a tree. The gust blew him straight at a spiky tree. The gray clung there for a moment, and then very slowly, climbed down.

Shaking with fear, Fern padded very slowly back to the heather Ginger was in.

And those choice words woke a few cats in the area…

0o0o0

(Not Ginger, she was too deep in sleep.)

(1) Must be some remnant from the old user's brain. I'm borrowing this one. I have never used metaphors in stories, so, you are all lucky.


	8. Killer Kills

**Disclaimer: Do I _look_ as though I own Warriors?! And if anyone is wondering, I like writing about Fern's dark past.**

Fern was extra careful not to tread on anything while he padded back to Ginger. He gazed off towards where she was sleeping, hoping she hadn't tried to go hunting. The wind was too strong for that. The sight of two cats prodding Ginger brought the grey tom's cautious walk to an end. He quietly slipped behind the heather and waited.

A lightly-colored golden tabby poked the tortoiseshell none too gently, while a muddy-brown tom watched right behind.

When it appeared the cats wouldn't go away, Fern walked out from his observation spot. But before the tom could do anything, Ginger put down her head and rammed them. They were dazed for a moment, then gave chase. They chased Ginger in a circle, and when they started toward the grey, Fern turned around and lashed out with his back legs, taking his weight on his front paws. At that moment, rain poured down, seeping into the warm pelts.

The explosive surprise caught the cats off guard, sending them into a clumsy battle stance. Fern calmly eased into a professional stance, feeling the frightening, familiar presence of Scourge. The grey and brown both leaped at each other, trying to get the other to back down. The tom flipped Fern under him, not expecting what to come next.

Fern raked the exposed belly, and escaped before the brown collapsed on top of him. The tabby had gone after Ginger, and was just sneaking up behind her. Fern ran towards them, prepared to fight. The lightly-colored cat turned around, about to strike, but grey beat gold.

Fern sliced downward with his paw at his opponent's face, claws unsheathed. The tabby howled with pain and quickly scrabbled away. He didn't even look behind him to see if his partner was okay. Fern padded up to Ginger coolly.

"Are you alri-" The grey didn't have a chance to finish his question, for teeth were clamped onto his tail. Something flashed in Fern's eyes and he turned around to meet the brown tom. Swift as a blink, the cat was dead. Fern let the dead carcass fall to the ground, a memory of the evil deed committed there.

Fern licked the crimson liquid from his muzzle, savoring the metal flavor. Oh, how he loved the vital life fluid of others melting on his tongue, sliding down his thro-

A second later, he was spitting the blood out as though it tasted awful.

He looked up, noticing that Ginger had run ahead. Fern sprinted to catch up to her and asked, "Need any help?" Ginger looked extremely tired, like she was about to fall over.

She seemed to mistake the question, because she meowed, bitterly, "Thanks, but I don't need saving."

Fern looked behind him. The golden tabby was sitting there, watching them leave, a frightened expression on his face. A couple more cats appeared, bigger then the last. _'So that was why Ginger ran ahead!'_

"We're losing them." He told Ginger, and she looked back as well. After a while, they slowed down. Ginger stopped completely, taking breaths in large gasps. The adrenaline still flowed through Fern, so he was fine. As for Ginger, she collapsed on a patch of grass, face at the sun rising on the horizon. Fern let her have a few minutes o sleep before he nudged her.

"Hey, I know you are as exhausted as me, but we can't just sleep in the open. We have to find shelter." It was true; the adrenaline had worn off.

Ginger slowly got up, and slowly followed Fern behind one of the hills, and slowly fell at the base of an old tree. It was a small, withered tree with but a few leaves gracing its branches. Fern spread out underneath it, and fell asleep.

0o0o0

Fern woke up to the early sun gently stroking his silvery fur through the withered branches of the tree. But his stomach was the official alarm clock. The tom stretched and found his early wake had been for nothing.

Ginger was still curled up, sheilding her amber eyes from the harsh glare of the sunlight.

Groaning, Fern looked around for something to do. He was certainly not going back to sleep; he had just got up! But the next thing the tom saw made his blood run cold.

Badgers.

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	9. Argentin Coeur

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. I just own nearly all the books.**

_He was just barely aware of teeth clamping on the scruff of his fur, but he passed it off as Floss or Daisy, moving him out of the wind. A cold gust of air a while later told him otherwise. He tried to open his eyes, but his body was too tired from sleep, so he let out a pitiful squeak._

_"Be quiet," a rough voice growled, and the teeth chomped harder on his fur. The kitten stifled a small yowl, but was quiet._

_Awhile later, the sun rose high enough for the kitten to open his eyes. He opened them- and was too horrified to shut them._

_His icy-blue eyes took in every detail, amazed at how something this horrific could come to be._

_The once lush, happy forest was now a burnt, depressing wasteland. _

_Cat carcasses littered the charred area. Many of them young kits and elders. Some were half decayed, others half eaten. Over in the distance, a pack of vultures were picking at the cadaver of a small kitten. He winced as each beak dove into the flesh, as thought he was the kitten. He looked back at the intimidating gray and white figure of his father and asked, "Why did you bring me here?"_

_His father loomed over him, icy-blue eyes slightly quivering, "Run, Scourge; run far away. Run away and never come back."_

_The kit backed away from his father, wondering what he had done to deserve this. _

_His father looked at him and meowed, "I don't want another Scourge. Nobody wants another one. So just run away, so I don't have to be reminded of the evil blood that runs through our veins!"_

_So the poor, defenseless kitten ran._

_And he ran._

_And he ran._

_And ran._

_He ran until he came to a forest. He ran past the trees and small wildlife to the side of a cliff, where he found a cave. _

_When he entered the cave, he found fresh moss gathered into a little nest. And sitting by that nest was a silvery she cat. She looked up at him, and smiled._

"_Mom…" the kitten breathed and ran to be with his mother._

_His mother pushed a silver fish toward him, and meowed, "Here. I will always watch over you. And no matter what, you are Fern, the descendant of a savior. I love you."_

"_I know that."_

_The silver cat faded away, leaving only the scent of fish in the air._

_Fern looked up to the shining moon in the midnight sky._

"_I love you too."_

_0o0o0o0o0o0o_

Fern woke up to see a familiar tortoiseshell cat hovering over him, tears glistening like stars. He watched as they fell from her sad face, collecting in a puddle by her paws. He wanted to comfort Ginger and tell her he was okay, but a wave of darkness crashed over him.

_0o0o0o0o0o_

_A barn was seen to the side of a moor, filled with horses and sheep. The wilder area was a calming place that day. The wind was silent, and the sun was out; a perfect day to be outside._

_A rabbit stood, clutching its delectable lunch of grass. Its eyes darted back and forth, taking in every detail of the scenery before deciding it was safe to eat. The rabbit lied down in the warm sun, softly nibbling the grass. All was good..._

_**"Fern!"**_

_The rabbit jumped and ran into the tall grass when it heard the screech._

_A gray kitten stared at it, depressed that his prey had escaped. He turned to a silver cat, bounding toward him, a worried look on her face._

_"I'll go back to the barn..." He meowed sadly, before his mother could say anything._

_The she-cat padded beside him, and curled her tail around his drooping one._

_"I just want you to be safe."_

_When they went inside the barn to be greeted by the dimness of the barn, Fern's tiny stomach growled._

_"I was hungry, so I tried to catch something!" The kitten meowed helplessly as his mother laughed at his expense._

_Mother calmed down, "Okay, okay. I'll go get some fish."_

_After the silver striped tail had disappeared, two cats walked over to him. They greeted the kitten with a small lick on the ear._

_"So, kit, where did you go? You know you aren't allowed out of the barn." The small gray and white one asked._

_Fern looked away, not wanting to see their disappointed faces. "I was hungry, that was all."_

_The creamy padded in front of him and snapped, "Being hungry doesn't give you permission to leave," She glared at him with her pale blue eyes._

_"Buzz off, Daisy," he grunted, burying his face in his gray fur._

_"Scourge is gonna get in trouble! Scourge is gonna get in trouble!" The two she-devils chanted, annoying Fern to no end._

_"Floss, Daisy, go annoy someone else, he's only a kit."_

_The two looked at the silver cat before running off. "Aww... you're no fun, Argentine!" Floss meowed playfully._

_Fern heard her pawsteps before his mother poked the back of his head with something slimy. The kitten tried to bat it away, and when he discovered it had slippery scales, bolted up._

_Argentine_mrrwed_with laughter, pleased with her son's eagerness. She let him eat without interruption, green eyes never leaving that excited spark in his. Once the fish had been devoured, she left him to his daily antics of exploring every nook and cranny of the barn he had explored the day before._

_They heard Daisy's voice from the attic, "Smoky's home! Quick, Floss, let's hide in a safe place and watch the show!"_

_Fern tried to squash his small kit body into a mouse hole, and was confused when his mother sighed. Shouldn't she be helping him hide?_

_Oh well. The kitten continued to try and squish, not even blinking as the mice came to inspect the stuck thing that had crashed into their home._

_"Where's Scourge? Ah, here he is."_

_A large mouth chomped down on Fern's tail, nearly severing it. It dragged the shaking lump of gray fur out. Fern closed his eyes, not wanting to live this endless nightmare again._

_The strong, mean voice that was his father began the punishment._

_"Why did you leave the barn?! Didn't I tell you not to?! Do I need to punish you again?"__The voice suddenly got softer, "Honey, can you leave us alone for a moment?"_

_Soft pawsteps gradually faded._

_"Why did you leave the barn? Didn't I tell you not to?" Smoky took a deep breath and sighed, "Listen, Scourge. I just want you to be safe. I don't want anything to happen to you."_

_The gray kitten slowly opened his eyes to see a tired muscular gray and white cat._

_"And you're not going to hurt me?" He asked cautiously. His father shook his head._

_"No."_

_But Fern wasn't so sure. He gingerly padded over to where Argentine watched. The kitten closed his eyes tight and grit his teeth, awaiting what was to come._

_All of a sudden, something nipped his tail. Fern whipped around quickly, but the culprit was already gone._

* * *

**Hello? Is anyone reading this?**

**You know, the stuff down here may be really important if you want the next chapter.**

If anyone is wondering where I got the name Argetine, it is silver in french with an e at the end. So, how's this for tragedy?

Fern's life before he became a loner. does anyone want another flash back? **Who wants a glimse at Ginger's life or her kin's?**

_**WHO WANTS TO REVIEW THIS STORY?!?!**_

To review, simply click on that button in the middle at the bottom of this page. No, not the button next to the start button! No! Nooooooooooooooo!!

**Yes, I'm that desperate.**


	10. Stupid Flashbacks

**This chapter has been edited and added to several months after it was originally posted. **

_All of a sudden, something nipped his tail. Fern whipped around quickly, but the culprit was already gone…_

Fern awoke to blinding light. Hissing a curse at whatever was shining this unwelcome light, he slowly realized it was just the sunshine. He groggily lifted his head. Someone had to catch breakfast. The grey tom stretched where he was on the ground (as all cats do), but stopped when a burning pain suddenly seared throughout his body.

Fern carefully twisted his head to look at his side. A long, sickly gash glared at him.

The memories of the night before came flashing back at him.

0o0--0o0

_Badgers._

_Fern stood paralyzed for another moment, just long enough for the three badgers to notice him. They shuffled toward him, eager to be the first one to give him the welcoming hug. The stupid creatures were making so much noise Fern was amazed that Ginger could sleep through that._

_Ginger! He had to get them away from Ginger!_

_That single thought snapped him out of his trance. That, and a strange sudden thirst for blood…_

_Fern zipped away from the clumsy badgers, running as fast as he could._

_Unfortunately, he was not watching at where he was going, and crashed straight into another one of the big creatures. _

_The badger took one long look at the dazed cat and took a lazy swipe at him. The claw hit, creating a long gash along Fern's side. The blow also knocked him out, and he remembered no more._

0o0--0o0

Fern groaned. He hadn't eaten at all yesterday, his side hurt, and what was with these stupid flashbacks?

For awhile, he just lay there, unable to fall back asleep.

The tom looked over to where Ginger was curled up. She looked happy. Although Fern was not sure why; sleeping on a bush full of thorns does not really make someone happy.

After a while, the tom fell back asleep.

0o0--0o0

The warm scent of freshly killed sparrow filled his lungs, and only one thought entered his mind: _Food._

His nose twitched, and he cracked an eye open.

There it was, lying helplessly on the ground.

Fern tore at it mercilessly, devouring the poor creature in just a few bites. A couple of mice were tossed in front of him, and he ravenously gobbled down those, too.

Fern looked up once he had finished to see Ginger munching on a squirrel contentedly.

Seeing as she must have brought him the prey, he meowed, "Thanks, Ginger. I was starving," and, remembering something else, "How long have I been out?"

The tortoiseshell replied casually, "Oh, I would say… About a week."

"What!" Fern jumped up, alarmed. His paws faltered, and he fell, having put too much strain on his body. He started to curse, but stopped.

"Oh, Fern. Don't get your fur in a bunch. I was just kidding," Ginger rushed to say these words. A purr of relief escaped Fern's throat.

"It's only been a day," She meowed a bit more quietly.

"Alright. Let's get going then," Fern meowed, anxious to arrive somewhere with less savage badgers. He did not was another run-in with any more of the beasts.

"No way, Fern. You have to wait until your injury is completely healed."

Fern protested, "But-"

"No buts. Now you can stay here like a good little kit, and I will go look for somewhere we can stay at for a while. We can't just sleep underneath a tree." With that, the she-cat padded off into the woods.

It was futile to try to argue with Ginger when she got this way, and Fern could see that clearly.

Besides, this new day was terrible.

There was not a cloud in the sky, beckoning the sun to scorch any unfortunate creature that dared to leave the shade. The weather was horrible: burning hot with barely a refreshing breeze. The birds were shrieking and screeching, like nails on a chalkboard. Daisies and other flowers were everywhere, spreading their annoying pollen everywhere.

To top it all off, his leg muscles refused to move, and his back itched like-

A loud cracking noise interrupted his thoughts, followed by a similarly noisy crash as a thick branch fell on the ground, inches from his nose. Fern stared at it in shock for a while, ignoring the terrible itch on his back, before promptly fainting.

0o0o0

Fern awoke sometime later, to the sound of Ginger's excited voice.

"Hey, Fern! I found this perfect place for us!" She bounced up and down in front of him like a kitten that just caught her first piece of prey. "Come on, come on! Get up Fern!"

"Back off," Fern hissed, already feeling his muscles tensing at the mere thought of walking around. "I can get up by myself." He arched his back slightly as he felt the itching from earlier come back.

Just as his paws found some traction that allowed him to firmly grip the ground, Ginger had to knock over his concentration.

"Come on, Fern. Please, before I'm an elder."

Fern flashed a glare at her. "Jeez, Ginger. You're like a little impatient kitten. This better be good."

Finding that foothold again, the gray tom managed to make it over to her, though weakly.

"Oh trust me Fern. It is."

Then she raced off into the forest, leaving Fern to shake his head at her brash behavior, and limp after her. He took this time alone to enjoy the peaceful, blissful silence of the woods. The far-off chirping of the birds, the soft rustle of the leaves on the trees. He breathed in the lovely, fresh scent of pine, wildflowers, prey… Oh, who was he kidding?! The sounds were all loud and annoying, and all of the smells gripped at his lungs!

Speaking of lungs, Fern wheezed as he limped up the path Ginger had so thoughtfully made for him. He was just crawling over another trampled plant when his ears picked up the familiar sound of rushing water. A stream! And streams usually meant fish! He licked his chops, only to find his tongue as dry as sandpaper. Streams also meant water!

Fern limped as fast as he could to the source, and greedily lapped up water.

After drinking his fill, he found some shade, and plopped down, exhausted. Fern closed his eyes, and opened them again to see Ginger, with fish. It took him a moment for his brain to register that she had been unusually kind to him lately, so he mumbled a "thanks', and dug in.

Fish in his stomach and the sounds of nature in his mind, he fell back to his slumber again.

The warm form pressed against his flank did not go unnoticed.


End file.
